Dartmouth woman charms with her Irish-themed poodles

DARTMOUTH — Brogan Patrick nearly danced through the little hoop to fetch the treat from his mistress’ hand.

“Trobhad!,” Joan Brenneke sang out in Irish Gaelic, pronounced “ta va ha,” and the small pooch, a boundless white ball of energy, performed his trick. “Ok, we’re going to do it again Brogan Patrick. “Trobhad!.”

Brogan, just 3 months old, tired quickly from his afternoon lesson of hoop jumps. But, the toy poodle was still willing to stand up on hind legs, and even do a little twirl, for the chance at another treat.

“He’s a darling,” Brenneke said afterward, seated in a kitchen chair holding Brogan as he slept in her lap.

Brogan is the newest member of Brenneke’s “Irish Boys” family, and already learning to perform with his much larger standard poodle brothers.

Brenneke, 81, has owned poodles all her life — always boys, always given an Irish name and never the same name twice — and has trained them for dog shows and as therapy dogs.

“My heart belongs to the poodle,” Brenneke said. “They’re so animated, so full of life.”

She travels with her furry troupe of “Irish Boys” to nursing homes and hospitals in Fall River, New Bedford, and beyond, where they visit with the residents, and put on a show.

Her first poodle, some six decades ago, was a present from her aunt.

“I was 19, and my Aunt Theresa was like a fairy godmother,” Brenneke recalled.

Since then, Brenneke has had 25 more poodles, all trained in Gaelic to compliment her culture and upbringing in New Bedford with an Irish mother from County Kerry and a grandmother who spoke the ancient language.

“I’m Irish,” Brenneke said telling her story. “I love to talk.”

Brenneke’s heart was broken recently when she lost her “little fellow,” a beloved toy poodle Sean Patrick at 17 1/2 years old.

“God love him, you didn’t have to teach him, he would watch the others,” Brenneke said.

She didn’t plan to acquire another poodle — she has three standard poodles to keep her company: Malachi O’Mailby and Oisin Mulcahy, both white, and Sceolan O’Gea, an orange pooch she described as a “clown. He hasn’t shown in obedience yet,” she frowned.

“I didn’t think I would get another one,” Brenneke said.

But, her daughter found the toy poodle pup and once Brenneke met him, she knew she had to take him home. She named him Brogan Padraig (Irish for Patrick) O’Shea — a big name for a tiny poodle.

“I’m so happy I have him,” Brenneke said.

It will take Brogan some time to learn obedience and tricks, but he was doing well with Brenneke after just a couple of weeks.